Disclaimer: These characters are not mine they belong to Mrs. Rowling :o)

Finally chapter 9 ! enjoy :o)

Harry and Ron sat tied together for what seemed to be an hour, before Snape came back in (sure Voldemort had left) and untied them.

"Really Weasley, what the hell were you thinking?" Snape smirked.

"Harry's my best mate! I couldn't handle being at Hogwarts without him, none the less sitting there wondering what the hell Voldemort was doing with him!" Ron answered angrily.

"Well you managed to not only endanger yourself but also to give Potter more reason to give in to the Dark Lord." Snape answered in a 'matter of fact' tone.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked looking towards Snape "I'm not going to join Voldemort!"

"Well Voldemort isn't going to sit around and wait for you. Why else would he bring Weasley? Weasley has no importance to him. He has an importance to you." Snape answered, looking at Harry as if he were an idiot.

"So I thought right . . . they are going to use you." Harry said disappointed that for the one time he didn't want to be right . . . he was.

"I'll leave you too alone, I'm sure Weasley needs to be 'filled in' knowing his intelligence." Snape said before walking out of the library.

Harry hadn't even heard Snape's rude remark, because he had been thinking absentmindedly.

"So what do I need to be filled in on?" Ron asked, feeling as if he could punch Snape in the face at any second.

"Well . . ." Harry began as he told Ron what he had over-heard and found out.

- - - -

Soon Hermione and Ginny were feeling the wind in their hair again, as they rode Buckbeak back to Hogwarts.

"Do you think they'll be okay? Harry seemed okay, of course I couldn't see him for very long before . . ." Ginny started to say, before hot tears started to stream down her face once again.

"Ginny, I'm sure they'll be okay, Harry has avoided Voldemort before. And Ron isn't stupid. He can take care of himself." Hermione said confidently as if Ron had personally told her they were okay.

"How can you be so sure?" Ginny asked sniffling.

"I can't but there isn't anything else we can do." Hermione said.

- - - - -

"So Voldemort wants to get to you by using the people close to you? That is a smart move I have to say. It all makes sense now . . . That's why the squid attacked Hermione, that's why the deatheaters were at Hogwarts after the attack, and that's why Voldemort grabbed Ginny first." Ron thought aloud looking up at Harry as he said the last conclusion.

"Yeah that's why - wait did you just say Voldemort?" Harry asked astonished that Ron was using the feared name.

"Yeah, after Hermione and I found out about the prophecy, we realized how dumb it was to not use the name. Voldemort is back, and if anyone has a chance at killing him, Harry, it's you. We couldn't pretend that we didn't know it was coming." Ron answered as he looked around the dusty library.

"Thanks, but right now I'm not so sure." Harry answered back regretfully.

"Harry, you are the only one who ever survived the killed curse, you are the only one that is linked to Voldemort," Ron noted pointing to Harry's scar "you are the only one who fought Voldemort directly and lived, not to mention managed to get a prophecy that Voldemort never could." Ron said to Harry as if he were jesting.

"Yeah but I always had help or was saved. This time I won't be." Harry answered not sure he wanted to argue about his life with his best friend.

"What makes you think you are going to be alone this time? Hermione, Ginny, and I are with you the whole way. Why else do you think we would've risked our own necks for you? You may think you were saved each time, but you did most of it. You were the one that survived the killing curse, even if your parents sacrificed their lives for you. You were the one who killed the basilisk and defeated Voldemort in our second year. You were the one who dueled Voldemort, even if the spirits helped. You are the one, the only one who is capable of this." Ron finished, never doubting his statement.

"Yeah, you're right. But I'm still worried . . . I don't even know what to do or where to begin." Harry said staring at Ron's determined expression.

"First, we have to get out of here." Ron answered, as Harry turned and stared out the small window at the moon-lit forest.

- - - - - - -

Hermione, Ginny, Lupin, Bill, and Tonks all reached Hogwarts grounds safely. They all walked up to the castle quietly, not saying a word.

Hermione looked up at the starry sky, and then her gaze turned towards the dark lake, as the squid glided under the surface. She couldn't help but look at Ginny every once in a while because her tear stricken face glittered prettily in the moonlight, and her long, red hair flowed in the chilly breeze.

Those words kept ringing in her head. 'I love you Harry' She always knew Ginny loved him. And she always knew Harry would come around to liking Ginny also. But she never thought that it would happen at a time like this. A time when being in a relationship would be forbidden for Harry. She knew that Harry's integrity would never allow him to date, none the less be happy, until Voldemort was gone and he had no more worries.

"Madam Pomphrey will probably want to see you, so do you want to head on up there or would you rather wait?" Tonks said looking down at the girls caringly.

Not really wanting to enter the dormitory of chatty Gryffindors asking where they had been and where Ron was, Hermione answered "I think the hospital wing will be fine."

"Okay, I'll take you up there." Tonks said as she gestured for the men to leave as she lead Hermione and Ginny up to the hospital wing.

As they reached the doors, Madam Pomphrey opened them up immediately, and showed Hermione and Ginny to bed next to each other. Right as Ginny began to walk towards her bed, Tonks pulled her aside.

"Ginny, you barely talked the whole time. You wouldn't talk to me then . . . I don't blame you for it either, but will you now?" Tonks asked kindly.

"I'm sorry Tonks; I was pretty upset back there. I had to tell him, and he didn't answer back. I knew they appearated before he could've possibly said anything. But I didn't even get to say goodbye to him one last time." Ginny her eyes brimming with tears again, but she held them in.

"Oh Ginny, you talk as though he is never coming back. Both Harry and Ron will be fine." Tonks said smiling lovingly.

"I know but ever since I heard about the prophecy, and I heard his dream, I've had this voice in the back of my head, telling me he won't come back." Ginny said, wiping the tears away that were brimming her eyelids.

"Ginny, really, I'm confident in both of them. You know, you're not the only one with the love of their life gone." Hermione said as she sat up, smiling sadly "Don't worry. We will all get through this."

- - - - - - - -

"So what did you do the whole time in that prison?" Ron asked blankly.

"There wasn't much to do. I mostly just thought about stuff." Harry answered shrugging.

"Yeah I can't even imagine." Ron answered chuckling.

"I think I'd prefer that prison to living with Snape though." Harry said, half smiling, as he brushed the dust off his glasses.

"Yeah, I bet Hermione would love it here. Just look at this library!" Ron said laughing as they both took a quick look around.

The library was stacked with books upon books. The color of the books differed from red, blue, green, and black. Harry couldn't help but wonder what they were all about, so he slowly walked over to the bookcase and pulled one out. He blew the dust off of it and read the title out loud.

"Spells, Enchantments, and Incantations, I wonder if there are any spells I haven't heard of in here . . ."Harry wondered out loud as he sat down and flipped through the pages.

"Hey this one is called Defensive Spells 101 you would never guess that Snape wanted the defense against the dark arts job." Ron joked sarcastically as he looked at the rest of the titles.

"Hmm, some of these spells seem useful. Here is another blocking spell, but it says this one is more like a shield. I guess it puts up some sort of force field. And there's another that blows things up, but it only works on inanimate objects." Harry began as he read through the different spells.

"Well would you look at that? Finally reading a book Potter! And I didn't even tell you to, that's a first!" Snape mocked.

"What do you want?" Harry said glaring at Snape.

"Manners Potter . . ." Snape mocked once again.

"How do you expect me to show you manners when you call me 'Potter' instead of my real name, Snape?" Harry shot back, as Ron smirked from behind him.

"Well, I was just going to tell you that Dumbledore sent a letter. Apparently he knows about Weasley and he advises you, both of you, to listen to me." Snape answered snickering with power because he knew Harry would do anything Dumbledore said to do "So for starters, your going to have to practice keeping your mouth and mind . . . shut. Also, it's too obvious when you tell lies, so I'd practice your acting skills." Snape finished before he turned and briskly walked away.

- - - - - - -

"Ginny, Ginny, Wake up!" Hermione said as she attempted to wake Ginny up.

"Huh? What?" Ginny asked Hermione tiredly.

"Dumbledore wants to speak with us. Come on." Hermione said as she helped Ginny up and they walked to Dumbledore's office. When they reached Dumbledore's office, the gargoyle was left open, so they walked up the stairs and knocked quietly on his door.

"Come in." Dumbledore said smiling slightly.

"You said you'd like to speak with us Professor?" Hermione asked politely.

"Yes, please sit down." Dumbledore pointed at the door seats in front of his desk.

"Well it seems that you two and Mr. Weasley attempted to rescue Harry. And now obviously, Ronald has been taken also." Dumbledore continued "But to ease your worries a bit, they are with Professor Snape."

"Professor Snape sir?" Hermione asked confused.

"Yes, Professor Snape is a deatheater. But he is a double for the Order. Lord Voldemort had brought them to him, and they are staying safely with him for the time being. Of course we know where they are, but it would be unwise to just show up one day, because not even Professor Snape knows when Voldemort will be coming."

"So Professor Snape doesn't know anything but that Voldemort is coming back sometime to collect them . . ." Ginny said.

"Yes, unfortunately." Dumbledore answered as his light blue eyes twinkled sadly.

"So is that why you called for us?" Hermione asked kindly, but hoping there wasn't anything else.

"I'm afraid not, the problem is, is that Lord Voldemort believes that he can get to Harry by using the people close to him." Dumbledore began before being interrupted.

"What do you mean 'get to Harry' Sir?" Ginny asked confused.

"Well I am lead to believe that Lord Voldemort is trying to, not kill Harry, but to force Harry to join him." Dumbledore spoke sadly as he folded his hands together.

"So he won't kill them!" Ginny said hope rising through her.

"Well, this is the other problem. Harry we're sure won't be touched for a while. But with Ronald, we are not so sure . . ." Dumbledore answered.

"So you're saying that the reason they took Ron too was because they needed to use him to get to Harry?" Hermione asked "It all adds up! First me, then he had grabbed Ginny, but now Ron . . ." Hermione concluded searching Dumbledore's face for any sign that she was right.

"Professor, what is the Order going to do? They can't possibly just wait around until Harry and Ron escape or something! And why doesn't Professor Snape just let them go? And what about his job? Why did he leave?" Ginny asked wishing this would all end soon.

"The Order really can't do anything. Because if they just barge in there, Voldemort will know that Professor Snape told me, and that would only jeopardize him. And the only thing we can do is to wait. Like I said before just letting them go would also jeopardize Professor Snape. He left because he was called. He told Lord Voldemort that He had said to me he needed to go home because of a family emergency for a week and Lord Voldemort believed him. Obviously due to Professor Snape's Occlumency skills." Dumbledore explained.

"Professor, so do you know where they went?" Hermione asked.

"They went to Godric's Hollow."

Another chapter finished :o) I'm glad a few of you reviewed! I am really sorry that it took me so long just to post this chapter! I only write when I'm alone because my computer is in my sister's room that is only gone on the weekends. So that leaves me the weekends, unless something is going on or I'm going to a friends house . . . but for those of you who are eagerly awaiting chapter 10 . . . I'm telling you it will be a little wait :o/ sorry! And please, please, please, REVIEW!